Since its inception in 1893, Midland Elementary School had always served two fundamental purposes: as a local gathering place for the tight-knit Midland community; and to serve as a place of learning for their children. When citizens of the Franklin Pierce School District passed a bond in 2003 to fund the construction of a new Midland over 100 years later, these priorities had not changed. BLRB was hired to design a school that met these high expectations.

Community involvement was paramount in the planning and design process. Countless meetings were held not only with the design committee but also with the Midland Community Association, the results of which truly impacted and informed the design of the replacement school. For instance, the community wanted dedicated meeting space, a larger gym the community could also utilize, and a way to celebrate Midland’s long and storied history in the community. Through BLRB’s unique collaborative process, this input was ultimately incorporated into the design.

The school’s history is celebrated in a variety of ways, from the entry arch built with bricks salvaged from the original school’s entry arch, to the lobby’s Midland Memorial Wall, complete with historical photos and artifacts. A “community room” and full-size gym were also included in the final design; both are used extensively by students during the school day. And finally, the school is contextual in design: residential in scale, clad in brick and capped with a pitched roof, truly respectful of the place it has held in the hearts of the Midland community for over 110 years.

The school district wanted both an energy-efficient and cost-effective building, and BLRB’s design delivered. Sustainable features of the building include maximizing use of daylighting, natural ventilation in all classrooms; use of “green” building materials, occupancy controlled lighting and HVAC, water conservation, as well as an innovative geo-exchange heat pump system. Midland Elementary School beyond doubt sets the standard of environmental sustainability for future Franklin Pierce School District projects.

“First and foremost, we love our school. It is beautiful and functional, and is organized in such a way that all our program needs are accommodated. This was not a big budget project… yet every space exudes high quality and attention to detail. I cannot imagine that Midland would be the building it is without BLRB Architects.”

-Nancy Prentice, Principal

Grades K-5
500 students
46,311 SF
Construction Cost:  $6,850,000
Completed 2003